Golf-club grip



April 1o, 152s. 1,665,791

J. A. NOVAK GOLF CLUB GRIP Filed Jan. 26, 1927 :EF 'DIlE IE 4 INVENTOR Josep/7 A. Novak j/ g A TTORNE YS Patented Apr. l0, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. NOVAK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NOVAK CLUB INC., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

GOLF-CLUB GRIP.

Application med January 26, 1927. Serial No. 163,601.

This invention relates generally to hand grips for golf clubs `or similar devices.

Hand gripsfor golf clubs are almost universally constructed of a strip of leather or other flexible material which is wound spirally around the upper portion of the club shaft. The ends of the strip are protected and prevented from loosening Vby means of a wrapping of cord, the cord being supplemented by tacks in the case of wooden shafts. This construction is unsatisfactorysince the cord soon becomes broken in use and must be frequently replaced. As a substitute for cord various metal fittings have been devised but these fittings have been expensive to manufacture and assemble and impractical because they have not permitted replacement of the leather.

It is an object of this invention to devise a novel form of'hand grip for a golf club shaft which will obviat-e the use of cord wrapping.

It is the further object of this invention to devise a metal fitting specially applicable for a steel shaft golf club for preventing unwrapping of the grip.

The further objects of this invention will appear from the following description in which I have set forth the preferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents consistent with the state of the prior art.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a golf club incorporating the principles of this'invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View showing the outer end construction of the shaft grip, the plane of section being taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the inner end of the shaftgrip, the plane of section being taken along'the line 3 3 of Fig.- l.

The golf club shown in the drawing is of conventional type and includes a shaft 10 to the upper end of which is secured a hand grip 11. This grip is preferably constructed of a strip 12 of flexible material such as leather, which is wound spirally upon the club shaft. Usually lue or some adhesive cement is applied to lille shaft before wrapping with the leather. The shaft in this instance is preferably in the form of a metal tube having a continuous taper, the upper end of the shaft having the largest diameter.

'Ihe end of the shaft is provided with a plug 13 of wood or similar material to which is attached the metal cap 14. This cap 'is detachably retained upon the shaft by means of a screw 16 which enters the plug 13, y60 and has its lip 17 engaging over the wrapping 12 to protectfand retain the same in position. At the other end of the grip there is a metal band 18 which has a forced or drive fit with the shaft 10 and which extends over G5 the lower end of the flexible strip. In pracJ tice this metal band is slipped over the lower end of the shaft before the head of the club is attached and is then driven upon the tapered shaft until it fits over the grip end. This manner of fastening permits ready removal from the grip merely byforcing the band downwardly upon the shaft. Thus the cap and band not only provide convenient means for protecting the ends of the grip and for preventing unwinding of the leather, but by their removability they permit a new strip of leather to be applied to the shaft when repairs are necessary.

I claim:

1. In a golf club having a hollow tubular shaft, a hand grip comprising flexible material applied to the shaft, a plug in the outer end of the shaft, and a metal cap detachably secured to said plug andengaging S5 one end of the material.

2. In a golf club having a hollow tubular shaft, a hand grip comprising a strip of flexible material wound spirally about the upper portion of the shaft, a plug in the outer end of the shaft, and a metal cap de- .tachably secured to the plug and engaging over the upper end of the material.

3. In a golf club havin a continuously tapered metal shaft, a han grip comprising flexible material applied to thegupper portion of the shaft and a tapered metal band having a force fit upon the shaft, and engaging over the lower end of the material.

4. In a golf club having a continuously tapered shaft, a hand grip comprising a strip of flexible material wrapped spirally about the upper portion of the shaft, and a ta ered metal band having a force fit upon said shaft and engaging over the lower end of the material.

5. In a olf club having a'tapered hollow metal sha` t, a hand grip comprising a strip of flexible material wrapped spirally about the upper portion of the shaft, a plug in Il l 1,665,791

the u per end of the shaft, a metal cap deteria] applied to the shaft, a plug in the tacha ly secured to the plug and engaging outer end of the shaft, and a cap detachably 10 over the upper end of the Wrapping, and Secured to said plug and engaging one end a tapered metal band having a force t of the material.

- upon the shaft and engaging over the lowerA In testimony whereof, I have hereunto end of the material. Set my hand.

6. In a golf club having a hollow tapered shaft, a hand grip comprising flexible ma- JOSEPH A. NOVAK. 

